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The Replacements

long with Prince and HÃ¼sker DÃ¼, The Replacements put Minneapolis on the rock map in the 1980s. Among America’s greatest alternative acts of the last two decades, The Replacements rose from chaotic noise-makers to polished craftsmen, leaving at least three unqualified masterpieces in their wake. In a perfect world, Let It Be, Tim, and Pleased To Meet Me would have all gone platinum -- but then again, endearing imperfection was always a hallmark of this band’s music.

The Replacements formed in the wake of the punk explosion of the late 1970s. Their anarchic stage shows had earned them considerable notoriety in local clubs (in fact, they had to change their name from The Impediments after a particularly disruptive performance in one such nightspot). Indie label Twin/Tone took note and signed the quartet, and their first album, Sorry Ma, Forgot To Take Out The Trash was issued in 1981. That disc and the E.P. that followed in the next year (Stink) were both pretty much standard-issue hardcore thrash.

With 1983’s Hootenanny, however, audiences began to take notice of the songs beneath all the sound and fury; “Color Me Impressed” had exactly that effect on discerning rock listeners. By 1984’s Let It Be, The Replacements’ exponential growth as musicians – and most particularly, Paul Westerberg’s growth as a writer – was undeniable. The album topped critic’s polls across the country and earned The Replacements a place on the roster at Sire Records.

Many alternative music fans cringed at the thought of their beloved ’Mats on a major label, but the arrival of Tim in 1985 proved their fears unfounded. Packed with rough-hewn anthems like “Kiss Me On The Bus” that were both catchy and to-the-heart honest, the album drew at least as much acclaim as its predecessor. The band’s concerts remained wildly uneven, however, and their reluctance to embrace the then-new medium of music video hampered The Replacements’ chances at broader success.

When the follow-up album, Pleased To Meet Me, came out in 1987, it was minus the band’s original guitarist, Bob Stinson, who’d been fired for substance abuse. The personnel change may have contributed to the record’s more polished sound, but Westerberg’s songs remained as wonderful as ever. It was becoming clear that The Replacements had their eye on a mainstream audience, and 1989’s Don’t Tell A Soul included their first near-hit, “I’ll Be You,” which reached #51. But the album didn’t follow suit, and by the time of their final album All Shook Down in 1990, the group was ready to call it a day, with Tommy Stinson forming his own band and Westerberg embarking on a solo career.